Tigers Acquire Closer Joakim Soria From Rangers

NEW YORK (AP) _ The first-place Detroit Tigers have reinforced the back end of their shaky bullpen, acquiring closer Joakim Soria from the Texas Rangers for minor league pitchers Jake Thompson and Corey Knebel.

The trade was completed Wednesday night during Texas’ rain-shortened loss to the New York Yankees. Soria says he was informed of the deal during the delay at Yankee Stadium.

Soria is 1-3 with a 2.70 ERA and 17 saves in 19 chances. Detroit has been looking to upgrade a relief corps that ranked 12th out of 15 American League teams with a 4.37 ERA.

Soria moves from the last-place Rangers to the AL Central-leading Tigers and gets reunited with the closer he replaced in Texas this season. Joe Nathan, a Rangers reliever from 2012-13, has a 5.89 ERA and 20 saves in 25 tries this year for Detroit.